Percy Homeless

Chpt 1: A Normal Day on the Streets

Hi! New story here! Hope you enjoy it!

Percy's Pov:

It was nighttime, about 8 in the evening. It was rather cold. I was looking at a lost green trash can on the street. What I was doing? Searching for food, duh. I'm homeless, I live with a few friends, which are now family. Well. Let me introduce myself. My name's Perseus Jackson. Everyone calls me Percy, though. I prefer it that way. I'm 14 right now. Furthermore, I've been homeless since I was 6, I lived not on the streets for 8 years, so you could say, the streets were my home. I ran away from the time my mum (Sally) died. Smelly-Gabe killed her, 'cause she didn't buy enough beer. I finished searching through the trash cans. I go through the same street. Since the rich people don't want us, the 'Homeless-fools' to search in their property, I look someplace else. I go hunting for food every three days, switching with Thalia is, they were my best friends since I was 8. Thalia was homeless since she was 7. Luke was also homeless since he was 7. I live with a bunch of other friends. Their names are Leo, Nico, Hazel, Jason, and Reyna. Thalia, Luke and I are the eldest, therefore we go looking for food. Since it's the near-beginning of the Winter, we need to get more things to keep us warm. I walked down an abandoned street, to an abandoned warehouse. It didn't have any windows. We lived at the very top. I knew we couldn't try making it cosier since we don't know when construction might happen. I walked up a lot of stairs. I moved here 3 years ago with Thalia, Jason, Luke, and Reyna. After climbing these many stairs all the years daily, you don't get tired anymore. I walked into the main room, where a small fire was already set. Jason and Luke were sitting next to the fire on logs.

"Hey Perce! Watcha get?" Jason said enthusiastically, banging his fists on his feet gently. I smiled, he was 11.

"Surprisingly, enough for all of us. I got a frozen Pizza, frozen spinach, a bit of bread and jam" I showed them, the jam was just a few scraps, but, will do, right? "I also got a few fruits." I found 'em on the floor. I started taking bendable, metal sticks, pierced them into the pizza corners and started cooking them over the fire. We've done it before. 

"Hey, Hazel! Leo! Neeks!" I called out. We found Hazel and Nico together abandoned on the street, 2 years ago. Hazel is 7 and Nico is 9 currently. Leo was found about 4 years ago. He ran away 6 times but was found. We took him in. When we found him, he was 6 years old. So he is 10, soon 11 now. 

Jason jumped in joy, as Luke laughed at his enthusiasm. 

"I'll go get the rest, we'll eat once Thals comes home," Luke said. He went to go get Hazel, Nico and Leo. Reyna was already in the doorway. I heard footsteps. Yay! Thalia! We can eat soon. Thalia walked in with a lot of fabric scraps. That's what she was looking for today. 

"Hey, guys! I found enough fabric to keep Hazel, Nico and Leo warm during the night. The rest of us will look for fabric and such material in this place." We nodded. I saw Luke come in with the 3 young trio. We ate, the pizza was divine. We normally eat whatever we find, yes, but a whole pizza isn't exactly common. Thalia and I put spinach on our slices, while Luke put spinach on the bread. It was delicious, well, I think. I was starving today. Since we (Luke, Thalia and I) didn't get to eat yesterday. We try to make sure the youngest trio would get some sort of food daily. Sometimes I don't eat for 3 days. Sometimes we get lots. Well. You get the idea. So today was a lucky catch, tomorrow's turn will be Luke's. It's getting darker by the days, so soon we'll have to go in pairs to ensure the safety of each other. Well, we do have weapons... Well, usually we can hear the other 'gang' of homeless teens pass. They usually like to steal from us, even though they've never succeeded. I mean, Thalia, Luke and I usually have weapons on ourselves in case. We have taught real self-defence to Nico, Hazel and Leo. Just in case. You know, actually, you don't, but, well, it's not safe for teens and kids to live on the streets. I'm saying that from experience. We finished dinner, Thalia went to stitch the fabric together, and Hazel helped (willingly). I went and cleaned up the food containers (cardboard boxes) and went to get Nico and Leo to bed. I read a book to them. Books for us are what you could call 'rare'. A library nearby us would throw away the books that aren't read anymore. Luke would usually go look for educational stuff, along with fun stories. Sometimes, when we would have the money, I would jump on a motorcycle (which is borrowed for one to three hours) and go to the book store. Luke would normally teach Hazel, Nico and Leo. Thalia and I would do these simple jobs. For example, Thalia would be begging for money on the streets (which happens 2 times a week), she would get about €10 at the times. I would go clean up the plumbing outside if there was too much rain, and if it would flood the place a little. I would actually get about 15 - 20 € for that. Surprisingly. 

Once we finished making the blankets, we put Hazel to sleep too. She was never a beggar for stuff from us. Like, Leo would beg for Luke or me to read a story. Or Nico would want to go for a walk. She was the peaceful and calm one. I went to sleep on a mattress with Thalia and Luke. We share a mattress because we don't have any others. Unless we want to sleep on sheep wool. Well, not that bad, but still. Uncomfortable. Again, said from experience.

I was laying thinking about my life. If I could just stop worrying. Well, Winter is coming now, like right now. We could do a project of making this place warmer. For example, covering the broken windows with clear bendable plastic. It would work. And decorating the place in general. Leo's good with the building. Maybe we could add the old images down in the basement? Buy some paint... BAM! I've been worried about construction for years. It's time to move and make this our home. Cosy, but still on the street. With that pleasant thought, I fell into a nice, peacefully sleep.